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Recalling great souls who passed on in 2007
Elsewhere in today's paper you'll find a memoriam to more than 400 individuals who died in 2007 and whose obituaries appeared in The Democrat. The list is mostly Clarke County residents but also some people with ties to the county who had moved away. Certainly, it isn't a complete listing of all county residents who died last year but it is probably close. The list is a who's who of family and friends that many of us knew and loved. We publish the list not to rekindle tears and grief but as a tribute to their lives and accomplishments. Scanning the list I see a lot of people I knew, people that I miss. I know you will too. Here is just a sampling: Betty Ann Fowler died last January. She was the retired secretary of the Alfa Insurance office in Grove Hill and a good lady. Joseph Payne Lindsey Sr. left in January too. He was a retired Liberty National Insurance salesman and the father of two of my good friends, Joe and Spidle Lindsey. Bernice Armistead died in February. She and her husband Maybon Armistead were lovers of history like me and members of the Clarke County Historical Society. Mack Mott of Thomasville died. Mr. Mack was a forester and a good man. Susie LaFlore died in April. She had been in accounting before retiring and taking the job of hostess for the Clarke County Museum in Grove Hill. She was a great lady. Joanne Wilson died after a courageous fight with cancer. She was an owner of Wilson Real Estate in Jackson but her passion was horses and she raised some remarkable thoroughbreds. Carleton Farish Sawyer died in Florida. I did not know her but felt a kinship because she was the great-granddaughter of Isaac Grant, founder of The Clarke County Democrat, and a niece of George Carleton, publisher of the newspaper for 63 years. The Rev. Herman Steele of Coffeeville died. He had pastored many churches and was active in the community. Christine Slayton of Jackson died at the age of 95. She was bookkeeper for Slayton Oil for years and also owned Slayton's Gift Shop. She was a great lady too. Mildred Huggins, the longtime librarian for the Grove Hill Public Library died on May 1. She was a remarkable lady, knowledgeable of books, history and so much more. Lamar Megginson, owner of Megginson Insurance in Jackson for 45 years, died at the age of 91. Ray Roberts of Coffeeville died. I knew the longtime Church of Christ preacher all of my life. He was a substitute teacher when I was in junior high school and he whipped my behind more than once (and they were all deserving!). Bud Scogin, owner of Scogin Motors in Jackson died. Bud loved politics- especially his Republican politics- and he and I had great and sometimes heated discussions about politics, government and so many more topics. I miss chatting with him. Jack Miller, a longtime resident of Millbrook, died. He was the first headmaster of Grove Hill Academy and was instrumental in getting the school up and running in 1970. He, too, whipped me more times than I can remember but again, I got none that I didn't deserve. Gilmer Beverly of Thomasville died. He was 91. I had known Mr. Gilmer since I was just a boy working in my daddy's store in Coffeeville when he was a salesman for a wholesale grocery company. Mary Austeen Cogle died July 1. I didn't know her well but her longtime husband, B. A. Cogle, is a friend and my heart goes out to him on his loss. Rodger Raybon died in a tragic industrial plant accident. I didn't know him well, either, but I know many of his family and I agonized for them in their loss. Henry Sheffield died. Henry owned Goldbond Insurance for years and was my insurance provider for The Democrat years ago. I always liked Henry. John Becton, longtime president of the First Bank of Grove Hill, and then First Bank and Trust, and promoter of industrial and community growth for the town and county died. He was a good man and a good friend who made me the first loan I ever took out from a bank. Ralph Zepp, former manager of the Allied Paper Company in Jackson died. In recent years I would frequently see Mr. and Mrs. Zepp eating in local restaurants. We also had good talks and seemed to be on the same "wave length" on a lot of issues and subjects. Judy Foster died. Judy used to be the office manager for the old Woodson Furniture in Jackson and we would talk about a lot of things when I called on Woodson's for advertising. Freddie Simpson died. Freddie was a longtime ABC agent and then served papers for the Clarke County Sheriff's Department. He was an avid LSU fan but we were friends anyway. Fixtures of my growing up years in Coffeeville died late in the year. They included Thera Mae Bumpers, Earl Hicks and Eunice Bedwell in November. In December, Dot Stringer, the widow of Earl Stringer of the West Bend community died. You really realize your own mortality when folks who have been lifelong mainstays pass away. Juanita McGowin died. She was the widow of Douglas McGowin of McGowin Oil in Jackson and I remember them from my first years of newspaper advertising sales when they were good customers and friends. The Rev. Jimmy O'Bryant of Thomasville died. Jimmy was the owner of O'Bryant Chapel Funeral Home and a Methodist minister. Before the days of fax machines and e-mails I used to go by the funeral home every week to pick up obituaries. I always enjoyed my talks with him. He was a good man. Lester Scarbrough, a contractor who built a lot of houses in Clarke County, died. They don't come any better than Lester Scarbrough. Ann Davis of Thomasville died. Ann was a fireball in her prime, always strongly advocating Thomasville and other projects. She had a zeal for life that was remarkable. Clayton Frowner, a former District 4 Clarke County commissioner died. Clayton always had the county's best interest at heart as a public official. "Pee Wee" Hoven of Jackson died. Pee Wee sold used vehicles and was quite a character and a good man to boot. Ginger Gilmore of Salitpa died a few Sundays ago. I understand she had been to church and had some kind of spell afterwards and died. She was a former teacher and had served on the Board of Registrars. She was a sweet lady. I see many more names on the list that I should acknowledge but space has run out. I will say a prayer for all of them though, for their lives, their contributions and their influence on others and on our community.
Jim Cox is editor and publisher of The Clarke County Democrat.
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